By Jeffrey Page

Glenn Beck, in his bizarre rant encouraging Christians to quit their churches if they see the words “economic justice” or “social justice” on the bulletin board or hear them in the pastor’s homily, has thrown down an unanticipated gauntlet. He thought he was challenging liberals, but serious churchgoers of all political persuasions must respond to his ignorance.

Beck, on his radio show, linked social and economic justice to the worst politics the world has yet to produce. “Social justice was the rallying cry – economic justice and social justice – the rallying cry on both the communist front and the fascist front,” he said. And just in case you didn’t get it, he went on to say that “social justice” and “economic justice” are “code words,” presumably for communism and nazism.

A quick aside: If “social justice” is code for communism, is Beck telling us that “no social justice” is code for capitalism? Now that’s a revelation.

I’m sure this will take Beck by surprise but social and economic justice are synonyms for Christianity and most other faiths. Additionally, ask most people and they’d tell you that social justice and economic justice are worthy ideals.
 
Beck would have you believe that he knows something you don’t. But in fact, he’s just a fool who sees subversion when churches lend a hand to people who are broke. And he sees a plot when members of the clergy wage campaigns against such conditions as poverty, bad education, fifth rate medical care and lifetimes of lousy, underpaying jobs.

That’s not the kind of job Beck has. The Times reported in 2008 that he had signed a contract extension with Premiere Radio Networks for $50 million over five years. That’s $10 million a year to slander good people doing good works.

His ignorance and cruelty are astounding.

He apparently is unaware of Proverbs 31:9:  “Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”

And of Proverbs 21:13: “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”

Let us cut to the chase. Do you think Beck is aware of Jesus’ first 13 words in the Sermon on the Mount? “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Clearly, Beck was addressing people who worship at liberal or middle-of-the-road churches and who share – with parishioners at conservative churches – a basic belief that Jesus Christ knew what he was talking about.

For many people “economic justice” and “social justice” are code words all right – not for nazism and communism but for a society that cares for all its people including those whose incomes are substantially less than $10 million a year and who are forced to ask for food when their kids are hungry, a job when they’re out of work, treatment when they’re sick.

So far, the Times has reported that the Rev. Jim Wallis, who heads a Christian antipoverty organization in Washington has implored listeners to turn off Beck’s radio show. Wallis is No. 1. Who’s next?

And which minister and/or parishioner of a politically conservative church or social justice agency will inform Beck that his likening of social justice with communism and fascism was ill-informed, childish, and an affront to all good people of faith, no matter their politics?

Who will tell him that when he says “If you have a priest that is pushing social justice, go find another parish,” he reveals an enormous ignorance about one of the fundamental tenets of Christian churches – to love thy neighbor as thyself?

Has anyone heard from Pat Robertson lately?

Jeffrey can be reached at jeffrey@zestoforange.com

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